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News bites: January 9, 2024

  • Kim Ji-won (My Liberation Notes) is reviewing an offer for The Price of Confession and, if the stars align, she’ll be acting opposite Jeon Do-yeon (Crash Course in Romance) who is also in talks. Production is still in the planning stages, with PD Lee Jung-hyo (Doona, Crash Landing on You) taking the reins after PD Lee Eung-bok stepped down, while writing remains with filmmaker Kwon Jong-kwan (Proof of Innocence). [Xports News]

  • New stills have dropped for tvN’s Captivating the King, showcasing a not-yet-king Jo Jung-seok (Hospital Playlist 2) and the gambling baduk-player Shin Se-kyung (Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun). Premiering in less than two weeks on January 21, the sageuk-romance will be airing in the weekend slot following Maestra: Strings of Truth. [News1]

  • Seol In-ah (Twinkling Watermelon) is on the casting table for Labor Attorney Noh Mu-jin (translated title), potentially joining Jung Kyung-ho (Crash Course in Romance) who will be playing the title character. Still in the early stages, filmmaker Im Soon-rye (The Point Men, Little Forest) is at the helm, marking her debut drama, with scripts by Kim Bo-tong (D.P.). [YTN]
  • Lee Yi-kyung (Marry My Husband) and iKON’s Ju-ne (a.k.a. Gu Jun-hoe) (Bora! Deborah) are considering roles in Channel A’s new series, Marry YOU (roughly translated). Not to be confused with his current series, this time (thankfully) Lee is up to play our bumpkin hero in a matchmaking romance story. Production is being led by PD Yoon Yeo-chang and writer Ri Na. [MBC]

  • Disney+ released new stills for A Shop for Killers, spending more time with our shadowy supporting cast in the upcoming action-thriller. Starring Lee Dong-wook (Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938) and Kim Hye-joon (Connect) as our main uncle-niece duo, the series will soon be open for business on January 17. [Sports Kyunghyang, Xports News]
  • It’s a buffet of stills this week with JTBC releasing a bundle as well, where business partners Lee Jia (Pandora: Beneath the Paradise) and Kang Ki-young (The Uncanny Counter 2: Counter Punch) are busy on the job for Queen of Divorce. If you need a divorce, they are the people you want to call when the drama releases later this month on January 31. [Sports Donga]

 
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If Ikon's Ju-ne leading a drama gets confirmed, this I got to see. I like seeing him play a supporting character in TW. So would be interesting to see him be the lead for once.

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@tccolb: Would you mind letting me know if you have come across any updated info including the release date for “The Love Story of Choon Hwa (2024, 춘화 연애담”? It has Son Woohyun from the “My star” series whose work I really like. Thank you!

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I'm pretty sure this is slated for a 2024 release. The same director as Call It Love! I'm totally in for that reason alone. 😀

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Thanks for the info. I didn’t know it is the same director. I wonder when in 2024? I hope it will be good.

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I have a feeling it's going to be one of those dramas without a lot of promotion and the release date will just pop up suddenly. This website is can be really helpful with release dates: https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Upcoming_KDrama

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TVING does have a tendency to just suddenly announce a release date without much fanfare, but they did change their game with LTNS, so we'll have to see what they do next. Jang Ryul mentioned in a recent interview that they're currently still filming for Choonhwa.

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@zindigo @tccolb
Thank you! I appreciate your replies.

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I'm still looking forward to it, but significantly less so now that original female lead Go Ah-sung, whose work I really like, stepped down with Go Ara replacing her. I'm excited to see Jang Ryul and Son Woo-hyun onscreen, however I'm still traumatized by Go Ara's sageuk acting in Hwarang.

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I saw that too and felt the same. To my regret, she hasn’t improved much since “Reply 1994”. I want this to be good so that Son Woohyun will get other leading roles. The way that he has been typecast as a secondary or tertiary character while inferior actors are routinely cast in leading roles never ceases to annoy me.

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It's endlessly frustrating to watch lesser actors gain lead roles due to social media popularity, adherence to toxic beauty standards, connections or a combination of the three. Part of why this project was so interesting was because of the more unconventional casting of the male lead and the crown prince. I find Go Ah-sung similarly underrated among international drama fans despite her impressive filmography, so I had hoped this would make her more recognizable to non-Korean audiences, but alas. It feels awful to say it, but a part of me does think Go Ara wouldn't be half as successful as she is without her looks. I'm not even saying she's completely untalented, but thinking she's on par to the likes of Go Ah-sung? Let's be serious.

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I completely agree. I was also hoping to watch Go Ahsung in this drama as I’m not familiar with her but alas. As is your wont, you often broaden my horizons re KDs and more important issues. I hope she is ok and will recover soon without any lingering effects.

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I just looked up Go Ahsung. What an interesting filmography. I also haven’t seen any if her dramas. I tried to find Tracer a while ago but unfortunately was access-barred.
Her most recent film “Because I hate Korea” which opened the 2023 Busan’s IFF is one I would like to see but as usual, unless it gets a cinematic run here, I won’t find it on any streaming platforms. Have you seen it? This is a review: https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/because-i-hate-korea-busan-review/5186208.article

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@dncingemma: Yes, her film work is quite incredible. It's such a damn shame so many of her dramas remain inaccessible to international audiences. I highly recommend her drama Life on Mars from 2018 also co-starring Jung Kyung-ho and Park Sung-woong. It's long been a favourite of mine, but unfortunately I don't know where you can access it legally.

I hadn't heard of Because I Hate Korea before, but now its on my radar. Sadly, Korean cinema only gets very limited theatrical runs where I live and even then its only the most popular films. I'll keep a look out for it, thanks for the recommendation!

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Thanks for the article on BecausevI hate Korea it sounds like it would be an interesting watch.

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Sorry for the typo.

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Pleasure. If you end up watching it, please share your thoughts.

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Her sageuk acting in that movie with Yoo Seung Ho - THE MAGICIAN iirc - was equally unimpressive (but no fugly eyebrows at least). I think she should stay away from the genre altogether, it would make things easier for both her and us.

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What a pity. I liked her in “Reply 1994” but a few of her later stuff that I’ve seen have been mediocre to bad.

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She fit the role there, I guess. I only did REPLY 1997 and honestly that was more than enough, overplayed love triangles are so NOT my thing no matter how good everything else may be.

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To this day, the only performances from her I liked were in Reply 1994 and that show with Lee Jae-wook that shalt not be named. That's not the best track record and does not inspire confidence in her suddenly turning a 180 in acting ability.

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Marry YOU sounds adorable!

And, dart, a shop for killers is looking better and better. Current plan is to wait for it to air in full on Disney+ and resubscribe for a month to watch it because I am NOT putting up with it's current kdrama on air policies.

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The colors in those QUEEN OF DIVORCE stills sure look nice! Wondering whether they’ll keep the cool toned outfits throughout the drama (they match up!)…

By the way, it’s always interesting (and a bit overwhelming) just *how much stuff* is being produced and put out there. Meanwhile it doesn’t help, that the recommendations in all those streaming services are just not very good, at least for me 😂 “You could also like…” - “No, I don’t!”

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“You could also like…” - “No, I don’t!”

Basically the story of my life, and not just in terms of dramas)))

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The numbers are something else for sure.The link that @zindigo posted earlier in this post lists the 2024 KD releases including those who haven’t been acquired by a streaming platform or network. I counted them and it is over 200!

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Not ‘who’’ but which!

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It sure is a well oiled machine!!! I’m only ever watching a tiny fraction of new productions per year, but I have the feeling there’s just *so much* to choose from, even in my „narrow section of interest“.

I checked the list of new drama releases for 2023 when I did the bean count, and it was astonishing how much I’ve never heard of before, 🤔, how much I’ve actually heard of (this amount sure grew a lot bigger after I joined Dramabeans - before I was just happily oblivious) 😅, and what I’ve watched in the end 🤓.

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Amazing Troubleshooters' pictures are so bright and colorful.

I'm definitely adding 1 and 3 to my watchlist. I've not watched Seol In-ah since Business Proposal so I guess this is the drama.

Captivating the King 😌👌🏽. January 21 be here.

Lee Yi-kyung as lead💐💐🥳🥳

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Love that you're sticking to the "original" English title (AT)!

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1. This drama is so baffling, both the actresses chosen after the other two dropped out are better actors than the originals, what is happening?

2. this looks interesting

3.hmmmmmm

4. Good, he deserves to lead. Everytime he has lead, he has been really great.

5. Alot happening here.

6. I'm excited.

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Regarding #1

My thoughts exactly, Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Ji-won are both excellent actresses and can act circles around the two women they replaced, its absolutely Bizzare

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Re: #1... and the PD as well! Something's up. Frankly, I'm not wild about the premise anyway. But this revolving door of cast and crew is curious indeed.

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1. Yeah, it is odd. This is at least the third high-profile PD associated with the show, with very little info on the premise. It feels like a project that should have fallen apart long ago.

2. So for Captivating the King they're not going to make even a nod to having the FL pass as a man? Were smoky eyes and sculpting blush a Joseon thing?

4. A show that explores why many people don't want to get married could be fun, but I'd be surprised if this dares not to land on "marriage is the best outcome for everyone all the time."

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I mean it is possible, but we were all wrong about that Kang So Ra vehicle about divorce, but you are most likely correct.

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I'm still genuinely shocked that ending happened the way it did. I'm hoping more shows follow in its path (though not the writing for the entire show).

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I'm SO EXCITED for Marry YOU with Lee Yi-kyung!!!!!!!!!! A rom-com where he gets to play a nice character who's the lead????? YES!!!!!! 👏👏👏

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I'm really looking forward to Captivating the King. Praying it's not overly trope-y as the storyline is already pretty much been there, done that.

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Labour Attorney, Marry you and Queen of divorce all sound like different phases of an unlucky person’s life! They get married, have problems at work and the pressure of the court case leads to a divorce. Will wait to hear more about the ones still in the early phases but looking forward to Queen of Divorce.

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Lee Yi-kyung is paired opposite Ju-ne ... I must have read that wrong.

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Now wouldn't that be a fun time? Sadly dramaland thrives on squashing our hopes and dreams.

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In our dreams.

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What ... Amazing Troubleshooter got a bunch of cloth for free and dyed them blue? How are all outfits - you can have them in any color as long as it's blue?

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1. I am SO CONFUSED by this production. Both Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Ji-won are leagues ahead as actors than the original Song Hye-hyo and Han So-hee pair. And the constant PD switching too. What is going on? And does anybody even know what the plot is?

2. So cool how men in Joseon had perfect contour and smokey-eyes. Who knew they were so progressive?

3. A law drama dealing with actual labour laws? That's genuinely interesting for a kdrama. Consider my curiosity piqued.

4. Lee Yi-kyung as the romantic male lead. I have prayed for times like these.

5. Man, I'm excited for this one.

6. Also very happy about male lead Kang Ki-young (and in his sexy glasses!) - even if I'm still miffed about the whole brownface debacle.

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Kinda obsessed with Lee Jia's shirts and blouses in those stills. I need those in my wardrobe asap.

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1. Love these two actresses. Hopefully they will take up the project.
2. Glad to see Jo Jung Seok in a saeguk and a saeguk on Netflix. Rarely do we have new saeguks on Netflix.
3. Bring on more legal shows and Jung Kyung Ho!
6. Oooooh a legal drama with Kang Ki Young as a male lead. I am putting this drama high on my-watch-list this month.

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